


Up All Night

by AlxSteele



Series: Through The Looking Glass [11]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Basically alt!Malec being adorable, Developing Relationship, Episode: s01e10 This World Inverted, Fluff, M/M, Malec, Sick Magnus, all fluff, smooth Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 14:20:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6614041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlxSteele/pseuds/AlxSteele
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in the AU of episode 10: This World Inverted. Magnus gets sick and Alec takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up All Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one that I had a request for that I couldn’t say no to. It also has a little…foretelling for something coming up which was another request I had. You all really kill it with requests, I’m just saying. So thank you 123grimmcjreaper for the initial prompt of one of them getting sick and the other taking care of them and lots of pouting! Hope you enjoy this!
> 
> Title from Up All Night by Owl City

Magnus stood up, head spinning, the world a miserable mess around him. He was determined though. He was a warlock. A very old one. Very powerful too. More powerful by the day. He could walk from his miserable bed of miserable feelings to the miserably cold bathroom where he’d take a miserably hot shower and then maybe he wouldn’t feel quite so miserable.

Stumbling his way to the bathroom, Magnus had to catch himself on the door handle, only just managing not to fall, tripping over his own feet as his legs didn’t seem to answer to him anymore. Once in the bathroom, the bright lights hurt his eyes so he was left squinting at his reflection that was pale and drawn, dark circles under red eyes. Honestly, he looked a bit like death warmed over.

“You are pathetic,” Magnus told himself, only his nose was stuffed so what came out was more just incoherent sounds than anything. Magnus leaned heavily against the bathroom counter, letting his head fall forward and eyes close just for a minute.

He jolted awake a few seconds — or minutes, really it could’ve even been hours, Magnus had no idea – later. He woke up only because his body had given out on him and he was about to fall, again. Magnus was sure the only way he stopped himself was with some incredible feat of magic that he immediately forgot. That was also how he somehow managed to turn on the shower, undress, get in the shower, stand there for he didn’t know how long; AND get dressed again once the shower had turned from peacefully hot water to miserably luke warm.

He nearly tripped on his way out of the bedroom and, if anything, he was more miserable than before he’d gotten out of bed. He snapped his fingers to magic the room clean, but all that happened were sparks fizzling out of his fingertips. Magnus frowned miserably.

Warlocks didn’t get sick often, but when they did… Well, Magnus might have only had a cold but he was actually ninety-nine percent positive he was in fact, dying. A long, drawn out, miserable death.

***

Alec didn’t bother knocking on the loft’s door. Magnus never seemed to lock it, and the one time Alec had made a comment about it, he’d only said, cryptically, that it was always locked and the door simply liked Alec and let him in no matter what. Alec had been a little thrown off by this side of Magnus, coy and always side stepping the strangest questions. Magnus being quirky was not something Alec had expected, but he loved it.

It was early morning on a Saturday and Alec had been up half the night talking to Magnus on the phone after a hard day of work. He could not deal with these people who wouldn’t simply trust him to do his job. He was an amazing party planner, but he couldn’t work when the client hovered, needing to okay every little decision he made. Now he was going to take Magnus out to breakfast and spend the day doing nothing in particular with his boyfriend, something that was quickly becoming his favorite thing in the world.

Alec was surprised to find the loft dark and completely silent. All the lights were off, the curtains pulled tight over the windows, blocking out every inch of sunlight from getting through. Alec peered around the gloom but didn’t see any sign of Magnus, or his cats, which was strange; Church was almost always waiting for Alec by the door.

The place smelled musty with traces of mint, smoke, and something else. Walking through to the living room, Alec found the source of the burning smell as incense were lit on the dining table.

Turning, Alec headed back to Magnus’ bedroom. The door was wide open and both cats stood just outside, peering in with their heads tilted to the side. Pausing, Alec squinted into the dark room. No light permitted the room, which was a disaster if the shadows of piles of clothes were anything to judge by.

Alec heard Magnus before he saw him, the other man groaning like he was dying. Stepping in, Alec found Magnus buried under a pile of blankets in the center of his large bed. He was turned away from Alec and, as the groaning cut off, he let out a few pitiful coughs, bringing a small smile to Alec’s face.

Moving closer, Alec sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. He turned the small lamp on before reaching out to touch Magnus’ shoulder. “Magnus,” he said softly. Another groan was the only reply he got. He tugged lightly on Magnus’ shoulder until he turned over.

Alec shook his head, Magnus looked horrible. Blinking slowly up at him with reddened eyes, his hair plastered to his forehead. He coughed again, if possible sounding even more miserable.

“What’s wrong?” Alec asked, moving his hand to Magnus’ forehead to check for a fever the same way Alec’s mom had always done for him. The same way Izzy did for him these days.

Magnus mumbled something Alec couldn’t make out. Finding his head to be warm, Alec ran his fingers lightly down Magnus’ face in a soothing gesture, leaning forward to hear him better. “I’m dying,” Magnus said finally, more clearly and with a deep sigh.

Alec grinned. “Really? Are you sure you don’t just have a cold?”

“Throat hurts,” Magnus replied, sleepily closing his eyes. “Nose hurts. I’m cold. Head hurts. Hot. Dying. Definitely.” He paused between each word and Alec couldn’t stop a small laugh from escaping.

“I don’t think you’re dying,” he said, finally.

“You’re right,” Magnus said, moving as if to sit up. “Let’s go breakfast.” Magnus seemed incapable of forming complete sentences, and Alec really shouldn’t have found it so endearing.

Reaching out, he pushed Magnus back down into his pillows. Magnus resisted for a moment then collapsed. “Okay. Let yourself out.”

Alec shook his head, running his hand through Magnus’ hair that was wet from a shower. Magnus leaned into the touch even as his breathing evened out, almost asleep. “No way. I’m not leaving. Someone has to take care of you.”

Alec didn’t catch everything he said next, but there was something in there about “that’s what the cats are for” that had Alec smiling again.

“Have you taken medicine or anything?” Magnus shook his head. “Do you have anything?” Magnus shook his head again.

Alec sighed. Standing up, he pulled the blankets back up around his boyfriend. “Sleep. I’ll be right back.”

***

“I hate you,” Magnus said. But it wasn’t very convincing when his words jumbled together and came out through his stuffed up nose in an adorable manner.

“You do not,” Alec grinned.

Magnus looked far too miserably adorable, pouting with his bottom lip stuck out, eyes half closed, slumping lower and lower after Alec had propped him up on a mountain of pillows. Alec reached out his long fingers, steadying the tray balanced on Magnus’ lap.

“You have to eat, you’ll feel better,” Alec said, not for the first time.

Magnus sighed, opening his eyes enough to glare at Alec before slowly picking up the spoon. Alec had made fresh chicken noodle soup — Izzy had texted him the recipe so he could’ve been poisoning Magnus for all he knew as Izzy wasn’t…the greatest cook. Still, Magnus was so miserable he probably wouldn’t notice the taste anyway. In fact, Alec was pretty sure his boyfriend wasn’t overly aware of anything at the moment. He’d spent most the day sleeping and the rest of the time miserably groaning and griping.

Most of what Magnus said he seemed to forget only minutes later. Plus, just then he might have been a little doped up on slightly too much cold medicine… Alec hadn’t been a hundred percent sure how much to give him.

Magnus ate quietly, glaring at Alec who sat on the bed next to him, ignoring Magnus by pretending to read the entire time.

***

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of this,” Magnus said later. He’d finished eating and was obviously feeling a little better even though his words were still thick through his stuffed nose.

“Hmm?” Alec asked, returning to his side with a glass of water after moving the empty bowl to the kitchen.

Magnus huffed, taking the glass and looking away. It amused Alec endlessly how different Magnus was when he was sick. At the same time, more embarrassed than ever at having someone looking after him, and less reserved than ever. “It’s just a cold, really Alexander, I can take care of myself.”

Alec smirked, moving around the room and picking up clothes that were spread all over the place, folding them and making a neat pile on the dresser without realizing what he was doing. “Really? Earlier you told me you were dying,” Alec pointed out.

Magnus shifted, embarrassed now that he was slightly more aware. “I assure you, I said no such thing.”

Alec laughed, looking away from Magnus and fighting the urge to kiss him. Bad idea Alec, he told himself, you’ll just end up sick yourself. “Sure you didn’t. I probably imagined it.”

Magnus nodded. He scooted back down the bed, burying himself under his mountain of pillows and blankets that covered his whole large bed. He let out a content sigh, “Exactly.”

***

As night fell, Magnus woke up feeling worse than ever. His throat was on fire, his nose actually hurt, and he could barely talk his head was so stuffy. Speaking of his head, it pounded. He felt weak, and that was the worst thing possible for a warlock.

Magnus blinked his eyes open blurrily. He clearly had a fever because he could barely even think straight and was having a hard time telling the real world from dreams. For instance, the dark haired boy sitting on the chair near the bed; Magnus was fairly sure Alec was real, but he was also in Magnus’ dreams so it was quite hard to tell.

Magnus started coughing and Alec jumped up, moving to his side. He handed Magnus a glass of water before disappearing. Magnus struggled into a sitting position. There was nothing worse than having a cold, he decided. Warlocks shouldn’t get sick, he sighed.

When Alec returned, he carried a damp cloth that he folded and rested on Magnus’ forehead, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed and running his fingers lightly up and down Magnus’ check. The warlock let out a soft sigh. Alexander had to be magic, he thought as he started to feel just the littlest bit better.

“What?” Alec asked, an amused tone in his voice.

Magnus was on the verge of drifting off again, barely noticing that he was speaking aloud. “I said you must have magic too… Are you a warlock, Alexander?”

Alec laughed, moving the rag as it was now hot.

“Hey, hey,” Alec said softly, moving around slightly on the bed. “Don’t sleep yet, you need to take more medicine.”

Magnus pouted, head spinning…or was the bed spinning? He didn’t know. Was he even still awake? Why did his throat hurt so much?

“Here,” Alec said, stroking Magnus’ cheek until he finally peeled his eyes open.

Magnus blinked blearily, eyes taking longer than usual to focus in on Alec and the glass of water and cold pills he was holding out. Magnus sighed, sitting up straighter once again. “I told you, Alec, I am fine.” Magnus’ voice was little more than a mumble and his head spun again, making him reach out a hand and close his eyes.

“No, you aren’t. Take the medicine.”

“Make me,” Magnus replied, barely aware of what he was saying. His gaze met Alec’s in a challenge.

Alec’s expression grew exasperated for one second, then dissolved into a soft grin. He leaned back on the bed on his knees, forcing the pills and water into Magnus’ hands. “How about I just promise to spend the day cuddling on the couch…”

Magnus’ eyes widened and Alec laughed. “All day. Just you and me.”

Magnus nodded slightly, even in his spinning, confused mind he wanted that.

Alec’s grin widened as his face got closer to Magnus’s. Then he stopped. “But only if you take your medicine and get better.”

Magnus glared, sighed, and cursed Alec as the dark haired boy pulled back. “You aren’t a warlock,” Magnus mumbled. “You’re a demon.”

Alec laughed as Magnus swallowed the medicine.

“I could actually curse you, you know? I’m magic,” Magnus mumbled, letting Alec take the glass from him again and stretching back out on his side. “Make you grow a tail…”

***

Alec had to admit, as much as he hated that Magnus was miserable and as mean as sick Magnus could be, it was all worth the wasted day to hear the things Magnus mumbled while half asleep and delirious with fever.

Alec hadn’t really had to even decide to stay over all day and night, taking care of Magnus. It’s just what you did. Alec had always hated being sick and, worse than that, was being sick and alone. When they were little, all three elder Lightwood siblings would end up sick at the same time, simply because one would get a cold and the other two would stick right by their side, inevitably catching it. Even now that Alec had moved out, if he got even the sniffles, he crashed back in his old room so he wouldn’t be alone.

So Alec stayed with Magnus, who spent most of his time sleeping. Alec read. Played with the cats with toys that didn’t appear to have ever been used before. And tried not to laugh at Magnus when he was awake. It was nice to see, the completely unguarded Magnus… It made Alec wonder how much he was hiding about himself, but Alec refused to dwell on it. It didn’t matter which version of Magnus he got on a daily basis…he liked them all.

Sometime in the middle of the night, after Alec had drifted off to sleep, Magnus, coughing and hacking, woke him up. He’d fallen asleep in the plushy chair, resting his feet on the bed. He sat up, moving to hand Magnus the glass of water he’d left on the bedside table for him. Magnus took it silently.

Alec couldn’t see much besides his eyes flashing — seeming almost to be a different color, yellow? — briefly in the darkness. Magnus drained the glass and flopped back on the bed. Alec went and refilled the glass in the bathroom. When he got back, he thought Magnus was asleep again. His voice coming suddenly from the dark huddle on the bed, made him startle.

“Alexander?” Magnus asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Will you lay with me? I can’t sleep with you all the way over there.”

Alec felt himself smiling. He padded over to the bed, long ago having discarded his jacket and shoes. He stretched out on the edge of the bed, above the dozens of blankets.

Magnus sighed, rolling over and throwing an arm around Alec’s middle. As the other man settled his head on Alec’s collarbone, Alec moved his arm, wrapping it around Magnus and running his fingers through his dark hair. Magnus snuggled in.

“Thank you, Alexander,” he whispered against Alec.

“For what?”

“Taking care of me…I’ve never had anyone do that before.”

Alec became aware of how tired he was suddenly, on the verge of sleep as soon as he’d stretched out. He replied sleepily, “Not even your parents? When you were little?” Now that he thought of it, snuggling in deeper to the pillow under his head, Alec wasn’t entirely sure how old Magnus even was. Or…he realized slowly in a sleepy manner, anything about his family. Did he have siblings? Where was he born, New York or somewhere else?

It was too late to be thinking though, so Alec stopped.

Magnus was shaking his head slowly, still drowsy with the cold medicine. He laughed bitterly. “Definitely not.”

Alec was more awake suddenly, curious and worried by Magnus’ tone of voice.

“No one’s ever cared about me before…not like this,” Magnus whispered. He moved even closer. Alec could hear the sleep in his voice as he tangled his legs with Alec’s. Alec held perfectly still, worried any movement would shatter whatever was happening, would make Magnus suddenly aware of everything he was saying.

Magnus sighed again, moving his head so Alec could feel his breath on the sensitive skin of his neck.

When Magnus spoke again, they were both practically asleep.

“Love you.”

They both stopped breathing for a moment before falling asleep, not ready to acknowledge what had just been said.

***

Magnus woke up early the next morning with next to no memory of the day before. It wasn’t completely unpleasant, though slightly embarrassing, as he woke up laying across Alec’s chest.

Magnus felt perfectly fine as he carefully untangled himself from Alec and crossed to the bathroom to shower. It was in the shower that things started coming back to him. He remembered bits and pieces. He’d definitely spent most the day grumbling. Had he told Alec he hated him? He thought he might have. But most the rest of his memory was completely muddled.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Magnus was flush with embarrassment. He didn’t even want to know what kind of embarrassing things he’d said. And he would not worry about the fact that he very well could’ve spilled every secret he had, reasoning with himself that Alec was smart and would’ve figured out that anything Magnus said while sick and full of cold medicine was just…gibberish. Nothing real… Probably.

Magnus moved to the bed where Alec was still sleeping peacefully. Reaching out, he ran his hand through Alec’s hair, something he loved doing, and slowly the dark haired man woke up.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Alexander,” Magnus whispered as his dark eyes slowly opened. “Sorry for the time I said that I hated you,” he added.

Alec smiled, eyes still half closed. “Which one?”

Magnus frowned, first at the words, then at the voice.

“Sit up,” he demanded suddenly.

Alec groaned, “No.”

Magnus didn’t have to feel his head to know he had a fever, didn’t have to so much as touch him to feel that he was sick. “Why would you go and get sick?” Magnus sighed as Alec sat up.

Alec’s hands went to Magnus’ waist, pulling at his belt loops until he took a step closer. Alec leaned forward, resting his head on Magnus’ stomach while he still sat in bed and Magnus stood next to it. Alec’s arms looped around his waist and he grumbled against Magnus’ shirt.

Magnus froze for a moment, muscles taunt, before slowly running his hand through Alec’s hair again.

“Don’t be mean,” Alec said softly. “I’m sick, you’re supposed to coddle me.”

Magnus let out a slightly breathless laugh. He allowed Alec to hold him there for another moment before pulling away.

Moving towards the bedroom door, Magnus told Alec to stay put and he’d be right back. As Magnus passed through the hall, Chairman Meow and Church both glaring at him as he went, Magnus mentally calculated how much of his healing potion to give Alec. Not too much or Alec might realize it wasn’t actually all natural ingredients…well it was, but natural magic not plant extracts or whatever nonsense he told the mundanes. But enough to make the cold all but go away within a few minutes.

Magnus shook his head as Alec came stumbling into the living room behind him. He paused, glancing over his shoulder as Alec — hidden under Magnus’ dark purple comforter that he had wrapped around himself and pulled over his head — flopped onto the couch, burying his head under the blanket with the rest of him.

Magnus smiled to himself, moving to his workspace, fingers dancing over the tops of a dozen bottles. He hummed as he found the right one, it shimmered, pale blue. Magnus grabbed a small paper cup and poured just a splash out.

“Take this,” he told Alec, smiling when Alec protested for only a moment before taking it.

Alec swallowed slowly, making a face. “Tastes like flowers. I don’t like flowers.”

Magnus moved to make tea and by the time he got back, Alec was sitting up, looking at his hands with a furrowed brow.

“Feeling better?” Magnus asked, passing him a steaming cup.

Alec looked up, eyes wider and blinking slowly. “Much. What did you give me?”

Magnus shrugged, folding himself onto the couch next to Alec. “The cold potion I made the other day.”

Alec’s frown deepened and he slumped down, defeated. “You had a potion to stop a cold? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did,” Magnus said, frowning. “I told you all about my potions. I think you bought one. And I gave it to you, just now.”

“But…” Alec trailed off, moving to set his cup down and turning to face Magnus. “You were sick.”

Oh, Magnus thought suddenly, embarrassed. “Yes, well. Er—um. One shouldn’t really sample their own medicine....”

Alec still looked defeated, the blanket having fallen down around his shoulders. Magnus didn’t really know what to do, so he simply reached out, resting his hand on Alec’s cheek. When Alec looked up, he smiled slightly. “I don’t remember much about yesterday, but I believe there was a promise in there somewhere for cuddling all day.”

Alec rolled his eyes, laughing in a surprised way. Before Magnus could blink, Alec had taken his cup from him, setting it on the table. Then he stretched out, looping his arms around Magnus and carrying him with him.

“Fine,” Alec grumbled, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ cheek.

Magnus settled in, figuring he could have one more sick day even if he wasn’t sick anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading you lovely biscuits! I’m open for prompts always so send them my way and I will see what I can do, just be patient as I'm working up to some things and I have a lot planned already! I’m on [Tumblr](http://imawriteriwrite.tumblr.com/) feel free to come yell about Malec with me there! =)
> 
> <3<3<3


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